KUBANG PASU: The two prime suspects in the murder of Felcra pensioner Sabari Baharom were charged at the Jitra Magistrate's Court today.
Contractor Mazuan Hanafi, 38, and his nephew Muhd Asyraf Idris, a factory worker, are jointly accused of murdering Sabari.
The crime allegedly took place at the Sungai Padang Terap bridge in Kampung Empa around 5.30am on Sept 5.
Both Mazuan and Asyraf nodded as the charge was read by the court interpreter before Magistrate Nurul Huda Idris.
The charge, framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, carries a death sentence or up to 40 years' imprisonment, along with no fewer than 12 strokes of whipping if the death penalty is not imposed.
No plea was recorded as murder cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
Kedah prosecution director Datuk Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim led the prosecution, with deputy public prosecutors Mohamad Rizal Fadzil and Nasruna Anhar Nordien assisting. The accused were not represented by legal counsel.
Since murder is a non-bailable offence, no bail was offered. The court set Jan 5, 2025, as the date for mention.
Earlier, both suspects were brought to the courthouse in a police van under heavy escort, arriving at around 8.15am to face the charges.
The suspects, who were detained on Sept 27, were initially remanded by Sik police for investigation into the discovery of the victim's charred Proton Waja in Kampung Pulau Belantek last month.
On Friday, police obtained a week-long remand order against the suspects for investigation into the murder.
It was initially reported that Sabari, 62, had left his house in Kampung Mengkuang Tengah, Kupang, Baling.
However, it was later established that the father of three, who lived alone, had been abducted by the suspects in the early hours of Sept 4 during a robbery that went wrong.
On Sept 20, Sabari's children were informed about the discovery of the victim's burnt-out car in Kampung Pulau Belantek, about 60km from his home.
Police made a breakthrough in the case after arresting a 62-year-old woman, following the discovery of suspicious money transfers from Sabari's account after his disappearance.
On Sept 30, the investigation was reclassified as a murder case after police arrested two prime suspects, who had been doing renovation work at Sabari's neighbour's home.
According to Kedah police chief Datuk Fisol Salleh, the suspects confessed to binding Sabari's hands, taping his mouth, and throwing him into Sungai Padang Terap.
Investigators believed that the victim was abducted by the suspects after he was able to identify them when they broke into his house.
It was reported that the contractor is said to be a gambling addict. It is believed that he had used RM16,000 from the victim's bank account for gambling in Batam, Indonesia.